Kaisipang Hudyo sa Eclesiastes 8:13: Akeidat Yitzchak & Duties

Psalms 92,2, "it is good to pay homage to G-d and to sing praises to Your name, most High." This is the conclusion reached by David after having overcome doubts in this matter. Cognition of G-d’s works is our primary task. Glorifying His works in song and music is the natural corollary of such cognition. The song the Jewish people sang after their deliverance from the army of Pharaoh by G-d’s miraculous personal intervention, is a prime example of this.

A husband is obliged to provide his wife with three basics. They are food, clothing, and conjugal rights. We therefore read in that passage first about G'd fulfilling His "duties," i.e. the duties of a husband. (6,10-11) At the same time, in keeping with the dictum that "indolence leads to immorality" (Ketuvot.5 9), the love relationship between husband and wife notwithstanding, the spouse's duties do not cease. "You shall revere the Lord your G'd, fear Him and serve Him." The need to accord glory to the beloved is not diminished by the intimacy of their relationship. Familiarity must not be allowed to breed contempt. Since it is in the nature of a woman to test her husband's love from time to time, in order to receive psychological reassurance, the Torah tells us "do not test the Lord your G'd." We must not conduct ourselves in such immature fashion. When the sages describe the passage commencing with the words "when your son will ask you," (6,20) as the question of a clever son who wants to understand the rationale of Torah observances, they did so with good reason. We have explained this in detail, in chapter thirty eight. (6+7) After having concluded the instructions how to insure our loyalty to G'd after we have taken possession of the land of Israel, the last part of our Parshah deals with ensuring that also our children will remain loyal to the covenant. At first glance, the demand for isolation from gentile society may sound harsh. Therefore, the Torah explains 1) the need to remain a holy nation. 2) The reminder that if G'd had wanted us to be similar to other nations, He would have chosen a numerically much stronger nation for His pilot project. (8) When the Torah threatens prompt retaliation to the wicked person, the switch from the singular to the plural may mean that when the wicked become numerous, G'd may have to delay application of retributive acts in order to demonstrate His patience, as discussed in chapter three. However, as long as the number of the wicked is few, of no sociological consequence, immediate retribution is in order. This is necessary to prevent sinners from relying on the patience of G'd and the delay of retribution. The correct meaning of the whole verse (7,9) then is as follows: "when there are many enemies, He will pay them back to their face, to result in the sinners' destruction. When there are only a few individual sinners however, He will not delay before paying him back." It is clear from Jeremiah chapter twelve and Psalms chapter seventy three as well as from Chabakuk chapter one, that the conduct of G'd towards a group of people is not necessarily subject to our evaluation and comprehension. (since we lack too many facts in the total equation.) Psalms ninety two, states so explicitly. (6) The fact that our duties in the marriage contract are spelled out, does not mean that we are entitled to a reward because we have lived up to our undertaking. If the Torah nonetheless begins the next paragraph with a list of promises based on our fulfilling our contractural duties, this is an act of kindness on the part of G'd, not something that we could claim as a right. Just as Abraham considered G'ds promise to grant him children and to give the land of Canaan to them as an act of kindness by G'd, (Genesis 15,6 and our discussion of this in chapter seventeen) so it remains for all time. The answer that the clever son receives may be divided into two parts. Up to the end of Parshat va-etchanan, he is told about the chukkim and eydot the laws that seem to lack rationale and the laws that demonstrate our testifying to the Torah's and G'ds historic truth. In Parshat eykev, he is told about the mishpatim, the social laws of the Torah. Since mishpatim are universally accepted phenomena and no special Torah is needed to assure a nation's establishing standards of social behaviour, the Torah explains the superiority of its legislation to the clever son.

Whoever assumed the service for the glory of G-d was favored by the Almighty with special bounties, for which he was under an obligation of additional service beside the service due from his nation and the rest of his tribe, as Moses said: "Whoever is on the L-ord's side? Let him come unto me. And all the descendants of Levi gathered themselves together unto him" (Shemot 32:26). G-d showed them additional favor and then chose from among them Aaron and his sons to minister to His glory. He charged the Levites with special precepts in addition to those he gave to the rest of the nation, and promised them a great reward in the life hereafter. But whoever of them rebels against the exalted Creator, will fall from both these degrees of excellence and be punished in both worlds; as the wise man says: "But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days" (Koheles. 8:13).